Adaptation and Evolution
by CandyCoatedJunk
Summary: Mira and Thomas brought this upon themselves, but are they strong enough excape death's grasp when they are on the same level as some of the most terrifying hunters in the universe? Humans always assume they are the top species, but the husband and wife duo will have to pull from deep inside to remember a more primal side of their race in order to preserve the short life they have.
1. Chapter 1

A ragged breath emerged from the female on the floor. She jerked to life, righting herself almost instantly upon regaining consciousness. A hand rushed to her throat instinctively as flashbacks reminded her of the dire situation she was now confronted with. The woman wavered as she rose from the ground to stand, the hall around her in shambles. The lighting flickered as the ship's reserve power was evidently in use. Her eyes darted around in search before resting on the hideous pink creature that was now belly up on the floor, it's corpse stiff with the passing of an unknown amount of time. With a brief pause of caution, she poked at it with the toe of her shoe. The motionless creature did nothing more than shift stiffly with the movement. Relief washed over her and she expelled a soft sigh. The harsh breath caused her raw esophagus to tighten. She gasped for air while the ripple in her throat continued to gain momentum until frothy, yellow liquid erupted from her guts. It burned, her eyes and nose watered from the stinging sensation. With time, the gagging turned to dry heaves and then to softer pants as her stomach calmed. She had leaned against a nearby terminal and was finally relieved when her throat relented it's protest. Slowly dragging her arm over her mouth, she noted the smears of blood across her soiled lab coat.

"How long have I been out?" she whispered. The memories were coming back in small snippets, nothing completely clear but her eyebrows shot up as she remembered something very important. Quickly she began searching through the rubbish on the floor, tossing panels and other pieces of the ship aside.

"Thomas? Tom?"

After shuffling things about, she had found a man's body and shook him with the panic she was feeling creep upon her. "Oh, Thomas, please say something," she whispered hoarsely to him. Dropping to the floor quickly and pulled him closer to her, she rested his head in her lap. It had started tentatively, but with the wait for a response growing unbearable she soon began to continuously shove and rock the man's shoulders and chest. Her hands began to tremble and her lashes fluttered quickly to fight back the tears that were beginning to well in her eyes. "Answer me," she squeaked, her lips quivering with the fear of her loved one not waking. She pressed his eyelids open frantically, searching for a sign of reaction. His pupils were dilating properly, the bluish grey irises slowly adjusting to the assault from the overhead lights. She released them and leaned to listen to his breathing.

A loud gasp erupted from him. The sound and sudden movement elicited a loud yelp from the woman but it was soon followed with a soft sigh of relief. She patted his cheek gently as she looked down upon him, taking a moment to survey him overall. Tom was a poor sight with so much blood all over him. Most of it had come from a large gash in the back of his head but that wound had already coagulated and matted into the dirty blond hair. The lab coat he wore was in a similar shape as hers, as were his trousers and loafers. The couple sat there quietly, taking inventory of each other carefully and exchanging gentle motions of affection. There was a faint hum from the broken air ducts and other lines that had been gutted from the panels of the ship's corridor but they seemed to be alone. Instinct told her this was an incorrect assumption. She looked down upon Tom, shaking him once more when she had noticed his eyes had closed.

"Ugh, I'm awake, Mira. Please stop." He reached, placing a hand over hers, and she stilled.

Thomas sat up, his own breath harsh and ragged after speaking. His hand gently stroked over his throat as he coughed from the exertion. He leaned and stood, Mira quickly scrambling up after him. Tom slowly turned about, his hand absently smoothing up the back of his neck and passing over the ragged scab that had developed. He hissed a noise of discomfort and searched his palm for the obvious smear of wet blood that was present. Frowning, he smoothed the mess over the breast of his lab coat and dusted his palm against his thigh a few times noisily.

"Where is everyone," she whispered. The realization of the couples situation seemed to hit Thomas and he suddenly felt on high alert, the hairs that covered his flesh standing on end as the fear crawled through his nervous system. The lethargic state he was in left him quickly as he darted down, ignoring the nauseating sensation that washed over him, and quickly wrenched a metal pipe free from the exposed innards of the ship.

"Like this will do any good against those monsters," he snorted at the thought, only to cough harshly from the agitation this produced in his vocal chords. As he took a few clumsy test swings the young woman followed suit, searching a small distance away for another gutted panel. She spied a relatively loose pipe and jerked at the stubborn rod until it relented it's protest and came loose from the floor. She caught herself before stumbling too far back and gripped her new weapon tight, her knuckles turning white as she shivered in the humid air. Tom noticed her tense position and calmly closed the space between them, gently cupping her shoulder in his palm. "Mira. Calm down, Love." She gently flinched at his touch but her body recognized his warmth as a safe sensation and she relaxed. As his thumb gently stroked down to the bend of her arm she felt the shivering inside of her slow to a dull, anxious thrill beneath her surface. When Tom was satisfied with her body language and her more steady breaths, he tucked the metal bar beneath his arm and pulled Mira to him. Tipping her chip upward, he looked into her golden, glossy eyes.

"The plan is still the same. We're going to the pod and gonna get the fuck out of here. Got it?" He lifted her hands into his own, both now grasping her improvisational weapon, and looked to her for understanding. They were in this together and they would escape this awful mess the same. She jerked her head in a small, sharp nod, causing her now matted hair to fall gently into her face with the motion. He smiled and paused a moment. Such beauty had no place here, in this nightmare born of his own scientific ignorance. What an idiot he was to even think that those creatures could be held capture. Even more ridiculous to think that the scientific team he led were planning methods of domesticating the horrid things! Mira had helped, but she had participated under the false security that her dear husband could keep her safe. A shudder passed through him and he cupped his hand to her cheek, a small tear slipping free of her composure as she seemed to watch the guilt twist his face into something disheartening. They had only been married for a year now, yet Tom felt just as lucky as when he first met her. Smart, funny, and an obvious bombshell. Mira was everything and more that he could ask for in a companion, more than he ever felt he deserved. How a middle aged nobody caught the eye of such a young and lovely person such as her would always baffle him, but he never squandered her love or affections. Having her by his side always seemed to make him want to aspire for more. He could look down at her, like at this very moment, and her golden brown eyes would inspire such courage and perseverance that Tom would literally feel his chest puff up with pride. That is how he felt now. Like he was the hero and he was ready to save his dear, precious princess from the black shelled dragon slinking around the ship.

A loud clatter interrupted Thomas' daydreams, jerking his train of thought away from his lovely wife. Quickly, he jerked Mira's arm and bolted down the corridor. She yelped lightly at the sudden reaction but easily caught up with him and matched his pace. Their steps echoed loudly around them as they continued to barrel forward. Tom would pause briefly at signs on the walls but kept on quickly, too fast for Mira to see where exactly he was searching for. He pressed on, whipping her around corners almost painfully as he navigated their rushed path to the docking bay. Between the shocking stomps announcing their obvious presence to the world and Mira's heart pounding harshly against her ear drums, she was not sure how they had gone unnoticed for this long. Occasionally though, she would see from the corner of her eye the swift movements flanking them. She would risk loosing her balance to shoot quick glances at the flickers, only to find nothing plainly visible in the dark hall. She felt it though, even if here eyes could not prove it. She felt the shadows sneaking up on them, slinking after them in the dark corners just beyond her observation. Every time she stumbled though, Tom would surge ahead and steady her, forcing her to look forward and press on much harder than before.

Their marathon came to an abrupt halt. Mira staggered and frantically searched behind them as Thomas produced a pass card from inside his lab coat. He slammed the frail slip of plastic through the slot and stared at the panel, waiting for the little green light's approval. Both had been rasping hard to catch their breath but when the soft beep sounded and the gate opened, Thomas lurched forward in a quick resume of their flight. Not two steps had been taken before he halted to a standstill and Mira slammed abruptly into his backside, her attention still focused behind the couple when Thomas had pulled her along. She began to groan a complaint but was cut short as Thomas shot his palm tight over her mouth. "Shh," he hissed at her, pulling his wife around to view the room. Air sucked into Mira from between his fingers' tight grip as her eyes grew wide at the site of the main receiving hall. Small, familiar pods lined the floor before her. They seemed to pulse with even the slightest sounds, the noises taunting the frightening creatures within to come forth. There had to be between thirty to forty of them! Some were empty and still, the tops already had been peeled open and the contents released into the area. Human bodies were littered nearby, limp and cold looking in their final place of rest. Mira's eyes began to well with tears again as she noted the frozen expression of horror on a small corpse. The little boy's blank eyes bore into from the cold floor, mouth still agape from the tiny things final scream. Such a young life to suffer such atrocities. Mira's heart broke at the thought of what the child's last moments might of entailed. A long sigh slipped sadly from Mira.

"I guess we won't be going this way," she whimpered. Tom's hand had settled upon Mira's shoulder, only to clamp down tight when a hissing noise burst from behind them. Before Mira could even react Thomas had shoved her forward, her face landing into the opening of one of the gooey eggs nearby as she stumbled. Her only weapon clattered from her grasp and disappeared into a dark corner. She turned to her partner but could see nothing but shadows beyond the globs of creature excrement stuck to her. The screech of the large black beast and the clumsy sounds of Thomas were clearly heard though.

"Docking Bay C!" he bellowed as he slapped his hand over the manual switch to the door. The metal plates swished shut but the muffled sounds of struggle were heard for moments after. When all had gone silent, Mira was frozen in awe. The few seconds that had occurred before were replaying over and over in her mind. Time seemed to stand still until a sob broke through her cold silence. It felt as if a dam had broken loose inside, releasing the full strength of her sense of hopelessness and distraught. She felt her sanity begin to waiver. Mira continued to cry out, clawing at her face with frustration in an attempt to rid herself of the slime that had already begun to harden and flake on her cheeks. Her wails echoed over the main hall in booming ripples, the unborn quivering in their leathery egg sacs but never bursting forth. They continued to hold back, waiting patiently.

Mira's noisy display turned to softer sobs, those sobs forming into tiny whimper, until finally she had convinced herself into some semblance of composure. A final sigh, she smoothed the fallen hairs away from her face and tucked them behind her ears as best as she could. Pulling the open edges of her lab coat over her bosom, feeling a small bit of comfort from this action, Mira leaned and rose to stand.

A booming sound erupted in the hall as a large force crashed into the gate Thomas had disappeared behind. Mira shrieked and scrambled her way backwards, limbs flailing as she slipped in the previously found nest. Another slam vibrated the room, the heavy metal doors already buckling as she began her frightened howling and stuttering, "L-l-leave m-m-me A-A-ALONE!" Mira slipped and clawed her way across the slimy resin coated floor, palming blindly until she felt the cold surface of the familiar bar in hand. She flipped and braced herself against the nearby wall, watching as the doors began to buckle and bend forward under the efforts of the force behind it. A crack appeared and a black muzzle pressed inward, sniffing the air slowly. Mira readied the makeshift bat in trembling hands as she felt her heart banging around in her throat. The eyeless face seemed to bore sinisterly into her soul, she knew it knew! She was there, waiting to be ripped to pieces and devoured. "Just like my poor husband before me." she thought painfully. The jaw parted, thick saliva dripped from it in copious amounts, as the xenomorph released an ear splitting screech and departed. Mira released the breath she had apparently been holding this entire time and rolled to her side, prone on the floor. Her eyes kept themselves locked on the opening in the gate as she allowed her mind to phase out into blankness.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you, MrsTayla, for reading/reviewing my first chapter and the words of encouragement via PM! It really meant a great deal to me. I got this second part out pretty quick, but I had already decided what was going into it so it went smoother than the rest of this will probably go. Enjoy!

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Mira could not remember when she had actually closed her eyes but when they opened once more the scenery had not changed. Before her was the same dark doorway. The same dark corners. The same eerie silence. There was a moment when she felt disappointment in the realization that what has recently occurred was not just a bad dream. As she layed there, the vision around her never faded or wavered.

"Nope, not a dream," Mira grumbled. She peeled herself from the floor, the puddle of slime had long since dried and adheased her to the cold surface. She was not truly free until she relented her lab coat to the settled resin, along with tuffs of hair and other small bits. A groan passed her lips as her hand rose to rub her red and raw cheek, freshly freed from it's almost permanent location.

'I don't have time to be playing around.'

Thoughts kept trickling through her mind, the panic ebbed softly at the edges of Mira's hard effort at maintaining her own composure.

'I've been passed out twice now, this thing in my chest should be ready! Why hasn't it killed me by now? The time for gestation has to be up.' She shifted uncomfortably, her hands rubbed over her arms as the cold air caused the hairs to stand rigid.

'Surely I can get to the main station, they can take it out. We've done it before! The company would surely value all of mine and Tom's research.'

Mira circled in a slow, shuffling manner to examine the surroundings once more. Her thoughts had slowly become voiced mumbles, small phrases soon became mantras that softly echoed the great hall in a quiet, shaky voice. She was only playing herself though, and Mira knew this. Time was her most valuable asset and she had already wasted so very much in her weakness.

Her eyes froze on a panel near her, taking in the pitiful reflection. Her long, wavy red hair had lost it's luster. Usually it was kept neatly tucked back in a tight braid, small pins placing more unruly strands where they belonged. Now though, it had been pulled free in sections and was matted with various substances, knotted atop of her head in a drab nest of disgust. Her cheeks were sunken in, hunger felt like a burning flame as the parasite had ravaged her bodily resources in just the few hours it had been imbedded inside her. Her small arms were never meant to raise a weapon. Though Mira had a pleasing look, she had always chose books and science over any other hobby. No, not a hobby. It was an obsession in the end. To see new worlds, new forms of life from the safety of the company's thick glass walls and cages. As the years had passed she might had told someone she felt like an explorer or an adventurer, but now Mira felt foolish. As she looked back and assessed herself a strong feeling a shame was building inside. Not for what she had done, as that was a given with the mourning of lost lives around her, but for the notion that she felt the company was in control of this situation. That she was in control of it. Her eyes lowered from the reflection, resting upon her upturned palms. How could such small, weak hands tame anything so ruthless? Her hands turned as she continued to ponder, her wedding ring glimmering slightly in the dim lights. Mira's heart sunk even further at the thought of her husband.

She was a very bright woman, and Tom had took such a shine to her. It did not matter that he was almost twenty years her senior. She never minded the fact her husband had very scarce hair atop his head. She never even batted her eyes at the "monthly conjugal", as Tom had jestingly referred to it as, she and him shared or the little blue pills he snuck before he wooed her. Mira's heart fluttered at the gentle memory. They had their study together and they had made a wonderful life of it. Quiet evenings together in the lab, meals in the sterile looking cafeterias. All these things may had seemed mundane to others, but the happy couple seemed to enjoy every moment of it. Mira had loved her life. She had loved Tom. She watched in the dark reflection as the tight frown twisted onto her face. She HAD loved Tom? The thought passing through her mind felt as though it had ripped her to shreds, thinking of her beloved in the past tense. Her face was distorted in such an angry manner, her disgust with herself was almost palpable.

"NO! He is not dead!" she shrieked at her reflection. "You LOVE Tom! And you're gonna find him and you BOTH are going back!"

The reflection glaring back jumped from livid to wide eyed quickly. Mira had honestly frightened herself, pep talking her mirrored image like some kind of end-of-life alien survival guru. The woman looking back at her had a fiery look for a moment that Mira had never seen before. That woman inspired Mira now, she wanted to be as strong as that creature had appeared.

Though she had been yelling, a kind of calm washed over her. Mira's arms still felt scrawny, legs still shook with fatigue and fear. Now though she felt revitalized and ready to find her husband. Her mind and body had split into two separate entities, the first forcing the second into s functioning state. She turned, the pods she had stomped through still sat quietly in her wake. Mira knew they had no use for her, her abdomen already occupied and her gruesome fetus surely emitted the pheromones to tell them this. So on they slumbered, or creepily waited for their next victim was how Mira preferred to see the situation. Whatever those nasty little creatures did.

"I wish I had time to stab each and every one of you!" She thrust her metal bar to emphasize her point. None of her audience seemed to care. She was dead to them already, enlisted unwillingly into the massive and unstoppable army of the xenomorphs. To them, Mira would soon be a decaying shell on the floor. Who were they to care if she tossed a tiny tantrum before her demise?

As a small reminder, the evil worm inside her chest spun about, dragging it's ridged tail against her ribs. Mira cringed, pressing her palm tightly against her sternum as she physically willed the tiny beast still. It seemed to eventually work and as soon as the creature was quiet she shot across the hall to the main entrance. She readied her weapon and, with a held breath, pushed at the manual latch for the door to open.

* * *

The main hall had been drastically different from the rest of the station. Mira had left behind her a wreck of a ship but if had still felt normal, human. The place she was in now felt more sinister and alien. The further she traveled the more it felt as if she was delving deeper into danger. She knew her route was physically taking her to the outer ring of the ship but every new door, each new hall became darker and more foreign than the last. There were many places that showed signs of struggle, some areas where entire walls had been ripped from the ship's main architecture. Corridors were lined with thick layers of resin and slime, the alien creatures had obviously taken a strong hold upon this area. It made Mira wonder further over the ruthless mindset of these abominations. Usually the creatures would make a colony in the deepest, most secure area for the queen and her offspring. And this had seemed the original plan but now Mira noticed their mother had went out of her way to block off the exit of the ship, relocating herself multiple times as the colony had traveled from one end of the station to the other. As Mira had continued forward she stumbled across more and more nesting areas, all filled to the brim with pods. Some rooms contained rows upon rows of vacant, leathery sacks while others contained only a few eggs that were still occupied.

The air had changed as well, humid and thick with moisture and strange scents that made Mira feel sick with each breathe. 'How could there be so much moisture here but my mouth feels so very dry and sticky,' she wondered. It was as if her environment was sucking the water from her body, osmolizing her very essence into the atmosphere. She had started off at a quick pace to the docking bay, but Mira soon found that although the xenomorphs were indifferent to her noisy and clumsy existence they were not going to allow her to leave. Her final destination had been realized and she soon had been forced into silent hiding from the variety of beasts patrolling the corridors. Safety had been found momentarily in the overhead air duct, weary brown eyes staring intently below as an alien creature of rather intimidating size slinked through the darkness. Mira was worried, the specimen below was larger than she expected. This frightened her obviously but a more persistent notion was nagging away within her mind. The larger the drones were becoming gave her a rough estimate of how much time was passing her by. She could feel her life slipping away, the clock that was the countdown to her end was ticking loudly in her brain. The physical presence of the creature could be felt inside her now, the beast having grown larger and more cozy inside it's doomed surrogate.

Breathing had become such a chore, no matter how deep she drew her breathe. It seemed that her parasite had settled snugly beneath her diaphragm and had no intension of budging. It's sudden movements caused her great pain now that dropped her to the floor of the duct, gasping and writhing as the developing monster tested it's new strength against her innards. Mira bit her lips tight, trying to contain her anguish from being overheard below. She could feel the hot blood trickle down her chin and neck but tighter she clenched, a tiny mewing noise slipping out before she caught herself. That noise was what the drone was waiting for, it's head whipped back and huffed deep the air around it. It was unsure as it had passed her if the scent of her parasite was correct but the fresh scent of human blood was enough to disclose her exact whereabouts. A resounding screech vibrated through the air duct, terrifying Mira as the drone called forth more xenomorphs to their location. Stealth was forsaken as Mira scrambled down the duct, the clatter of the metal bar tied to her waist announced her direction to all beneath as she raced through the ships guts like a rat. The drone leaped high in the air, raking it's razor like claws through the thin sheets of metal and wiring, and Mira could feel the rush of the air past her legs. The rivets on the inner side of the tunnel were agonizing, scraping her skin as she urged herself on.

The return calls were sounded and she knew her efforts in the tubing were in vain, soon many more of the monsters would be upon her. If Mira wanted to escape now was her only hope. She whimpered, tears trembling in her lashes, and shoved herself backwards, dropping down one of the openings the xenomorph had created in pursuit. She fell, fingers unable to grasp the smooth edge she slid from, and her weak form crumpled to the floor at the feet of her hunter. Mira scrambled and tore the pipe from her waist, rising to defend herself from the creature. Since her departure from the greater hall three other drones had attempted to drag her back from her advancement towards the escape pods. They had become more and more aggressive, their desire to keep Mira aboard apparent as each of her assailants became increasingly violent. She was rather banged up now from the efforts but all had been cautious enough to not cause her any harm that could end her life, or the life of the creature inside of her she had guessed.

Mira held the metal bar tight in her hands, crouching low beneath the drone as it looked down upon her. It's face was hovering inches from her own, the monsters jaw parted and the tiny but menacing inner mouth gnashed at her viciously. She flinched but stood her ground before the creature, knowing that retreat would only provide it with the opportunity to grab hold of her and drag her away like the ones before it. Mira felt so weak and she knew that if she was recovered once more she would have no strength to escape again. With as much courage as she could summon, Mira drew in a breath and screeched into the xenomorph's face and shoved it back with her weapon. The massive beast swayed lightly but budged no further. It just continued to stare down upon her, growling lightly with what Mira could only equal to as annoyance. It would never harm her, as much as it desired to gorge itself upon her warm and soft insides this creature was strongly aware of the precious cargo Mira carried within her belly. She slowly crept back a few steps but the drone took one large step, keeping the distance between them short. With a huff of frustration she shouted, "Why don't you just EAT ME!"

No reply was given to the question. The drone tracked her movements as it continued to sniff and snort the air near her. From a distance loud, fast steps rumbled closer. The reinforcements were arriving. Mira was startled by a thundering roar followed by a noisy mixture of hisses and heavy objects being slammed about. Something had interrupted the second groups arrival. A loud blast was heard, followed by the sick sizzling noise of fluids and burning. The primary drone swung it's head in the direction of the obvious struggle and Mira took this opportunity to bring her weapon up with great force, the tube penetrating the underside of the creature's elongated cranium. Her strike was true and the cylinder emerged from the dome, the xenomorph jerking at the sudden assault. Mira felt a swell of triumph over this blow, that was until she felt the horrid sting of the acidic blood spurting from the opening she had created. Both she and the alien flailed about the hall in distress, the creature continuing to follow her as it thrashed and dragged it's head about the ground in an attempt to remove the weapon. She wailed and cried as the drone's blood seared at her flesh. Mira had known normally that no amount of rubbing or smearing would halt the fluids assault of her soft skin, but in this frantic moment she was swatting and tearing at herself in a vain effort to ease the massive sting that was burrowing into her.

Mira never noticed the second alien as it rounded the corner, this being much more different than the xenomorphs. The beast stood on two legs and towered over the frail human, more than twice her own height. It's face was adorned with a smooth and ornate mask that had strange cords sprawling forth from many directions down the back. It paused, watching the small human and drone flail about in the corridor. With a fluid motion it was upon the xenomorph, taking hold of the disintegrating pipe and wrenching it to the side. The drone's body halted all movement, the external skeleton snapping and cracking when the pipe fizzled to pieces and the head dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. The massive humanoid looked down upon the dead drone, then it tilted it's head towards the simple weapon. The creature's attention was pulled from the latest kill by the wailing sobs of Mira grinding about on the ground. The pipe section clattered to the floor as the beast closed in on the writhing human.

She squealed in fear as it snatched her up, smearing some foul, iridescent fluid from it's own arm over the now deep burns in her own arms. She squirmed and fought, but the monster's firm grip never wavered as it continued to her torso. It began to rip her sizzling clothing away and Mira's panic rose even higher. Through all adversity, Mira had survived the violence and racing about like a mad woman, but now all she could think of was that her demise was to be as a rape victim to this fucking Godzilla sized beast! Out of natural instinct, she began to scream.

"Help! Someone, oh God! Please!" The giant shot a string of gibberish at her but the harsh clicks and trills did nothing to calm the tiny, panicked human so the creature did the next thing that popped into it's mind; it clamped it's hand over the tiny mouth. This was effective in silencing her, but her fears only doubled as the massive hand covered both of her airways simultaneously. Mira continued to writhe to the much annoyance of the other being, but the final straw was when it felt a sharp sting under it's hand as Mira's teeth sunk into the thick scaly skin of a finger. A deafening roar erupted as the beast flung her into the nearby wall, looking down at it's wound as it clicked at her angrily.

The small, half-naked human cowered next to the wall, spitting and gagging the glowing fluid from her mouth. Her gasps continued and the chestburster within became irritated, grinding and squirming excitedly. The massive alien halted it's foreign cursing to watch the female cry and scream on the ground, clutching her torso tightly as she rolled about. When the tiny monster halted it's assault upon Mira's insides, she laid upon the floor frozen as she looked up the barrel of some space age shotgun aimed directly at her head.

"Oh, no, no, no! Give me a break! You just ripped my clothes off and tossed me into a VERY HARD wall. I mean, I am sorry I bit you but I just could not breathe! You know, air?" Mira took some hoarse sounding breathes, emphasizing the motion to the beast. The laser site pointed at her never wavered.

"Come on! You are fucking ginormous! A tiny bite is nothing! And yet you are ready to snuff me out like a candle over it! " A pause as she gauged it's reaction to her comments. Nothing. She sighed, "I'm the crazy one here, thinking you are listening to me. Go ahead, shoot me."

The alien tilted it's head, the blaster disengaged and returned to it's resting position. The, creature began clicking once more, pointing to Mira and the dead xenomorph nearby, then back again to Mira. It leaned down and rapped it's clawed finger again her chest a few times in a rough manner and spoke something Mira would never understand.

"What?" The alien repeated once more, jabbing her sternum more roughly the second time. Mira wondered silently to herself how the monster knew it was in her. Could it smell the parasite, like the others could? The alien looked her over again, it's clawed finger touching the side of it's mask a few times during the survey of the human's anatomy. It then reached down to a small display on it's wrist and tapped at a few buttons before rising to it's full height. It was at that moment Mira had yet another surprising revelation.

'Are those...breast!' she pondered, observing the creature while it was occupied with it's wrist console. Mira continued to stare, her scientific mind and rationale battling out who was to take priority in the situation. She had not forgotten that she was, just a moment ago, staring down the creatures weapon barrel; but her brain was quickly filing away small details of the new species standing before her.

'Bipedal. Reptilian skin. Claws. Space shotgun on the shoulder. Tubing from the helmet in the back, hair? Maybe how it breathes? Armour. Netting over the body. Utility belt, with more weapons. Computer on wrist. Massive mace in hand... Weapons, weapons, weapons. You know what? You win, rationale. Let's run!'

The creature roared fiercely when Mira took off sprinting down the hall. She cried out but never looked back, scrambling around a nearby corner. It pursued her for a few thunderous steps before slowing to a stop, a second voice clicking over communications in the mask it wore. Small dialogue was shared before the she-beast growled and turned the other direction. Without missing a step, she holstered her combi stick and snatched up the head of the dead drone as she stalked down the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you agian, Mrs Tayla, for reading and reviewing this story. You give me encouragement to continue and I truly appreciate that! And for others who read, I hope you enjoy.

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"She did not sound too pleased with your request, friend." The male yaut'ja standing in the main entrance growled in amusement, his comment was heavy with sarcasm and laughter. Arms crossed over his chest, he leaned in the sill and watched the others from across the room. The statement did not stir a heated response, as he had hoped for, but the snickers continued. What was one tiny battle lost when the war was in his favour? Gkei'moun Thei-de, or Thei for short, was at wits end with his sister and J'kra-daut'e thought this truly had to be one of the most hilarious sights he had ever beheld in the almost four hundred years he had existed in the cosmos.

It was strange for siblings to be so familiar in society, but the results were endlessly entertaining for J'kra. Once, he had joked with Thei that the bond between the two siblings was so tightly woven that he might as well vow himself to his sister as a lifemate. Besides, they quarreled well enough to be a pairing. The joke had fallen like lead at Thei's feet, Thei claiming that genetically his sister and he would statistically throw poor offspring. The laughs were deflated until Ja'Ja had heard her brother's comment and took personal offence.

'You would be considered lucky to have a lifemate such as I,' she had growled, tossing her head back and flaring her mandibles in a loud chuckle. Her black hair clattered together as her body shook with mirth, the gold rings woven around each heavy dreadlock jingled against the others. 'I am a strong female, and I only grow stronger! Even after birthing more pups than others my age. Males strut for my attentions YEAR ROUND-' Thei had interrupted Ja'Ja's boasting with a loud grunt of annoyance. She had hissed and turned to deliver another long winded lecture to her younger brother but he beat her to the punch.

'Sister, I am aware of your humbling contribution to society by bringing up such strong and sharp minded pups as well as your skill as a warrior! If you ever keep a male around long enough, you will surely make a lifemate tremendously proud.' The comment was not worded in a rude manner, but Thei had clipped the words and clicked so sharply that Ja'Ja had stomped away in a seething huff. J'kra had laughed so hard he felt like he could roll about in the dirt laughing and howling like an overly amused pup with his age mates at play. He tittered to himself as he relived such a fond memory.

Thei breathed a heavy sigh, noticing J'kra lost again in a daydream. The fool had not heard anything Thei had said, but this was never a surprise. Thei was sure his Brother would loose his head one day, literally, for such a flighty attention span. He grunted, "Maybe you will luck out and your hunter will only clip a mandible off before you realize your head needs to get out of the star dust."

J'kra jerked lightly, focusing his attentions on Thei-in-the-present once more before howling in newly found amusement. Thei's lower mandibles dropped in annoyance and he spun quickly to K'tar, J'kra's twin brother.

"Your mother, did she drop him on his crest too many times while has was feeding from her? He behaves like an invalid or something." K'tar looked up from a hard meat's freshly cleaned skull and shrugged.

"I have always assumed my brother drank a bottle of plasma lantern fuel as a pup. Would explain the lost time he has so frequently." K'tar paid no heed to his brother's banter in return, his attentions refocusing on polishing his trophy before J'kra could muster a witty retort.

J'kra stammered slightly as he turned to the fourth member of the party. "Nrn-dok, you will not aid me in defending my honor? This is hardly a fair battle."

The older yaut'ja continued to polish his blade as he spoke, "The wise man does at once what the fool does finally."

J'kra wrinkled his brow. "What a strangely worded phrase. But I do not get it."

"It means 'Shut up', J'kra." The voice boomed in from behind him and he shifted to the side. Ja'Ja appeared, carrying a mangled hard meat skull in behind her. She flopped it into the cleansing pool, the residue left from the brief cleaning during transport fizzed and sizzled as the liquid began the final process of preparation.

Nrn-dok shrugged, "Close enough."

Everyone stared and the trophy Ja'Ja had brought; but J'kra, of course, was first to comment. "What is that piece of shit you brought home with you, Ja? It looks like something a suckling would break it's teeth in on. Ah, look at the wound in the dome! Your mother would MOURN such an awful shot. Did that blow even KILL the beast? Ha ha ha!"

Ja'Ja huffed and rolled her shoulders as she dropped into a chair nearby the cleansing tank. "I obviously did not kill this, you simpleton."

He interjected, "Hey! Why is everyone insulting my intelligence this cycle?"

Ja'Ja paid his comment no heed as a smirk drew her mandibles upward, "It is a present for my new pet."

This comment drew the entire room's attention. Thei turned from the terminal and raised a strange glance to his sister before eyeballing the skull one more. "Such a terrible place to spear the creature. How is this worthy of even a pet?"

She ignored the comment's underlying insult and reached for a hook to turn the oblong dome. Ja'Ja purred softly, pleased with the smoothness that the exoskeleton displayed. "She killed it herself, well almost. It will be perfect. Females love gifts so this will be ideal in my taming the little critter." The others shared criticizing glances before looking to Thei. He huffed and strode closer to his sister.

"Alright, I can tell you are pleased with yourself somehow. Explain. What did you find on the human ship that has you so entertained?"

"Why, a human, of course. What else do you find on human ships, dear brother?" Ja'Ja frequently enjoyed speaking in riddles and wording her sentences in a manner to evade the questions he brother asked. It annoyed him to no end. Though he was was a well skilled warrior with a long line of patience, even at his young age, Ja'Ja had a way of tap dancing over his nerves and shredding that elegant grace to zero within seconds. She could already see the hairs bristling on the back of his skull and her insides fizzled with amusement.

Thei groaned in annoyance and ran a clawed palm down his face. "Yes, Ja. You have our undivided attention. Stop with the vague evasions."

At this time Ja'Ja was pleased with the skull and had been dangling it over the tank to allow the piece to drip dry. She looked to Thei. "The human is to be my pet. She is fairing decently on the ship right now. Well, aside from the larvae she carries inside. The worm is quite large, it already dawns a small crest in her."

Thei growled angrily. "You will not bring that onto my ship!" He rose quickly, the chair behind him clattering. "How long will the hive queen stay in that soft meat, sister? It takes just a few cycles for the creature to mature. Do you plan on whispering sweet nothings to it through that human's umbilicus and soothe the beast for eternity?" His anger was quite apparent.

Ja'Ja remained calm, placing the maculate trophy into her lap. She began to smooth a piece of Iv'rak-karian silk over the dome slowly, the soft material shaving away small, granulated deposits on the surface of the skull. "But, brother. She plans on removing it."

Mira ran. And ran. Then, she ran more. No amount of flight took her away from the nightmare she had tumbled down into. Monster after monster had been her welcome party in this unique hell; a variety of species apparently inhabited this vessel, invited or not. Scientific rationale to the wind, she had sated her curiosity for the rest of her life. Mira promised whatever deity was listening as she randomly sprinted corridors that if she and Tom made it out alive, they would spend the rest of their lives farming tubers in some remote and uneventful moon in nowhere. Organic tubers! With no need for advanced genetic technology or explorations. Never again!

The thoughts of such a simple and pleasant life took root in her mind and bloomed into great hope that swelled in her chest. Her pace slowed, and Mira continued to entertain these thoughts as she trotted aimlessly. Her destination was unknown, but Mira soon caught herself looking for Tom everywhere she traveled. Many corpses littered her way and at first Mira felt growing nausea from the gruesome trail of gore, but soon she began scanning faces and moving on quickly. This method seemed to ease her tender, empty stomach.

Once again, almost on cue, the parasite inside grinded and squirmed. The action turned Mira's stomach ache into full blown agony. She dropped prone to the floor and gasped, grasping tight to the grate beneath as her breath caught in her throat and would not enter her. Like a fish on land she struggled, her diaphragm pulled and spasmed tightly as Mira fought for room to bring air in. Still the worm would not budge, stretching and luxuriating in the new space it created inside of the poor woman's abdominal cavity. She flipped to her back, clawing the hem of her tanktop. Mira's voice was so soft and harsh, "Food for air." Her vision wavered as she looked down upon her belly, light ripples spinning ever so slightly under the taut skin of her stomach. Was the floor spinning? Mira's fingers gripped the grates once more to try and ease her equilibrium.

"Air. Air. Air..." She kept whispering it softly, every word spoken felt like her last breath. But the parasite seemed to grasp her desire and slowly began to ball back up, tucking itself away in some hidden space deep with Mira. Her lungs expanded, the air rushed in so quickly that Mira felt dizzy once more. Tingling lips calmed though, and her fingers and toes began to regain sensation.

As her body relaxed, Mira listened to the pulse in her ears gently slow. It was an awful sound, making her head throb in the process. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Her eyes had drooped until closed and counting out the beats had soothed her slightly. Would they get to pick a name for their tuber farm? Probably not, Mira guessed. Most of those moon farms were pretty simple, cut and dry kind of deals with the same modular homes and green houses. But she had heard that most were allowed one plot for personal use. Would it be better to plant food goods, or would she enjoy flowers and greenery more? She sighed.

With the worm tamed and a killer migraine, Mira rose and dragged her feet as she shuffled off to make good on her promise. Did she want to eat? No, she wanted to find her husband. She wanted to find a way out of this shithole. But Princess Beast wanted food, and she was threatening to eat Mira's organs to supplement any skipped meals. So on she marched, her current location was around the recreation center. A cafeteria would be near by. A second monster inside her churned and gurgled loudly, Mira's stomach. She patted her belly lightly, "Maybe something to eat wouldn't be such a bad idea."

The choice for the menu was surely anyone's guess, but Mira's hopes were on one of those vacuum sealed salads that Thomas always brought her in the lab. It had those crunchy little bits in it and that really tasty cheese Mira always forgot to remember the name of. And something to drink. Her tongue was already aching, mouth watering at the thoughts of eating. After a few corners turned, and one long backtrack, the lunch hall was in sight. Mira reached the swinging door, palm slapping into firmly as she bounded through it and came to an abrupt halt. A shriek knifed through the air loudly before Mira realized it was her own. She slapped her hands over her own mouth and took a broad path in the doorway, forcing it fully open was difficult with the build up of resin on the floor. Close to the entrance was a massive xenomorph corpse, sans the head. Mira had practically ran into it's lap. All around the body was an acidic archipelago that she was dancing about to avoid. She felt a shiver crawling over her skin as she squeezed past.

"Not so menacing with your fuckin' HEAD gone, are you?" She stuck her tongue out in passing, but paused a moment. This was probably the first time Mira had ever been so close to a complete xenomorph without some form of barrier or monitor to separate the two life forms. Sure, there were samples and sorted parts, dissected sections and surveillance videos but this was an entirely new experience. The texture of the monster's exoskeleton was quite different from the lab raised variety. The surface still held an opalescent sheen but the thickness was not consistent, ridges banding through the exterior and circling scrapes that dipped into the shell. The entire experience was both humbling and sobering, Mira felt the creature was less mythical and more animal. She was not discrediting these horrible things as cuddly pets now, but she had not forgotten the struggle she had with the new life form.

The reptilian warrior. It had killed Mira's captor, it was surely the one who had killed the creature she was now studying. And if that Amazon could kill them, Mira had to learn so she could get out. A sharp pain interrupted Mira's thought process and she gritted her teeth while clutching her side.

"Okay, okay!" The sharpness left, but a dull throb remained that ached with each inhalation. Mira abandoned her staring and stumbled into the kitchen. It was a wreck, no surprise there, but thankfully no bodies were around. Mira had soon forgotten the stale, rotten smell the air had seemed to accumulate in the past few days but she felt she would had noticed if she had to eat. She whispered a small word of thanks to whomever was caring to listen and began digging around in storage units. The cabinets were surprisingly abundant and Mira soon was packing away the non perishable items and bottled water in a sack that was found. Mid sack stuffing though, Mira perked as her eyes feel upon the cooler door.

Salads! Mira skittered to the door and hefted the latch with a heavy thud. The air was a shock to the woman, but the lack of humidity was more than welcomed. She could feel the worm inside of her curl up tighter, burrow deeper. Mira gave a small, sadistic chuckle and patted her stomach, "Don't like the cold, do you? Good. Because I love it. I hope you're freezing, bitch." A happy tune was hummed as she approached a wall of shelving crammed with the disposable metallic bowls Mira was fondly familiar with. She snatched up three quickly and ran for the door, only to pause in the entrance and enjoy the cool air a moment longer.

A large gurgling noise interrupted her moment of peace, but Mira was fine with taking a seat next to her new supplies bag and cracking the seal to her long awaited meal. She promptly removed the ingredient divider, tossing the small plastic piece over her shoulder, and snapped the lid back into place before shaking the container. As the food mixed, a strange smell drew Mira's attention. While it was not unappealing, the scent made Mira's mouth water, it left a metallic taste in her mouth. She tried to ignore the sensation, popping the lid from her bowl. Quickly, she stuck a large bite in her mouth. And it came just as quickly back out, lettuce and topping sprayed in noisy disgust.

"Ah! So gross! Why?" Mira cried out in despair, her blessed salad ruined by that strange smell! The angry woman hopped up to her feet and slammed the bowl to the floor. She sniffed the air, searching the room intently for the source of whatever had ruined her salad moment. The search lead Mira back to the cooler, the first shelf near the door was filled with sections of red meat.

Mira frowned, "Oh, no, no, no. I don't eat that." Her body did not seem to care though and her mouth quickly began salivating for the bloody mess. "I don't eat meat, so you are out of luck." The parasite was having none of Mira's noncompliance. That metallic taste was growing, sliding down her throat. It was so delicious, so tempting. Mira sighed and snatched up a slab of the red, bloody meat.


End file.
